Pedra de Lume

Pedra de Lume is a village in the northeastern part of the island of Sal, Cape Verde. The village is situated on the east coast, about 5 km east of the island capital Espargos. It has a small port and a lighthouse, Farol de Pedra de Lume.

Pedra de Lume
Settlement
Pedra de Lume
Coordinates: 16.763°N 22.895°W / 16.763; -22.895
CountryCape Verde
IslandSal
MunicipalitySal
Civil parishNossa Senhora das Dores
Elevation
3 m (10 ft)
Population
 (2010)[1]
 • Total329
ID41102

Salt ponds

Pedra de Lume has been famous for its salt evaporation ponds (salinas),[2] exploitation of which began in the 18th century. According to geologists, the waters in the lake rise from deep in the earth rather than from lateral infiltration from the ocean.[3] The salinas are situated in the crater of an extinct volcano. Together with the mountain Cagarral, the salinas and the crater form a protected landscape, covering 8.02 km2 (3.10 sq mi).[4][5]

The crater lake
The port of Pedra de Lume

History

Pedra de Lume was founded by Manuel António Martins, who started the exploitation of the salt ponds in 1796.[6] A tunnel to the salt ponds was constructed in 1804, and a port in 1805.[7] Salt production flourished in most of the 19th century, but went into decline after 1887, when Brazil, the main export destination, imposed a ban on imported salt.[6] Salt production was revived by the French company Salins du Cabo Verde, that installed an 1100 m aerial tramway for salt transport in 1921. Current production is small, and mainly intended for beauty products and thalassotherapy.[6]

Notable people

See also

References
  1. "2010 Census results". Instituto Nacional de Estatística Cabo Verde (in Portuguese). 24 November 2016.
  2. José Joaquim Lopes de Lima, Francisco Maria Bordalo (1844). Ensaios sobre a statistica das possessões portuguezas na Africa occidental e oriental; na Asia occidental; na China, e na Oceania: escriptos de Ordem do Governo de sua Magestade Fidelissima a Senhora D. Maria II por José Joaquim Lopes de Lima ... Imprensa Nacional. p. 182.
  3. Ray Almeida. "A History of Ilha do Sal". Archived from the original on 6 February 2016.
  4. Resolução nº 36/2016, Estratégia e Plano Nacional de Negócios das Áreas Protegidas
  5. Paisagens Protegidas, Áreas protegidas Cabo Verde
  6. Salines de Pedra de Lume, UNESCO World Heritage tentative list (in French)
  7. História da Ilha do Sal, Câmara Municipal do Sal

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